Central Asia news

Jalalabad residents start “infinite” rally for parliament dissolution

07.03.2013 01:42 msk

Ferghana

A rally was staged in the city of Jalalabad, Southern Kyrgyzstan, to demand the release of the arrested Ata-Jurt faction MPs, the nationalization of the Kumtor goldmine, and the dissolution of the Zhogorku Kenesh (the Kyrgyz parliament).

According to K-News, the organizers do not set time limits for the rally. There are three yurts erected on the Erkindik Square. The KirTAG agency reports that Mr. Taalaybek Susunbayev, a press secretary of the internal affairs ministry, said there are some 1,000 people attending the rally; the Akipress agency’s estimates are 2,000-3,000 attendees.

Fifty hero-mothers came yesterday to the regional administration for negotiations with authorities; they refused to vacate the building when their demands were not met and they are still in the building. According to Akipress, there are propositions to establish a people’s front among the rally attendees and walk to Bishkek to demand the parliament’s dissolution.

Mr. Zhusubaly Toromamatov, the plenipotentiary representative of the government in Jalalabad Region, met with the rally attendees. He told the crowd about the several conversations he had with the hero-mothers and that he conveyed their message to central authorities. Mr. Toromamatov asked the rally attendees to remain calm and said that only court would have the final word in the cases of [arrested MPs] Kamchybek Tashiyev, Sadyr Japarov, and Talant Mamytov.